(1) Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of underwater mine placement systems and in particular to devices having Coriolis corrections for latitude and launcher velocity.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Various mine placement devices have been developed over several years. Mine placement accuracy has become increasingly important with respect to precise mine field placement where friendly ships must be able to operate in close proximity to those fields. Various factors effect mine placement accuracy including Coriolis effects from launcher turn radius and velocity during deployment of mines. Mechanisms in use at present attempt to account for the Coriolis effect using only a linear model. This model produces errors in the final mine placement. The present linear model does not account for changes in deployment path caused by Coriolis effects for differing latitude, nor for changes caused by launcher turn radius of the mine as it is deployed. What is needed is a mechanism for determining and setting the launch angle based on the launcher ship's heading and the run time of a small vehicle such as an underwater mobile mine, typically sent from a moving platform to a known, fixed point. While in transit, the mine moves at a fixed velocity which must be corrected for Coriolis effect and for water current velocity.